NAACP draws attention to special education system

Serghino René

Keith Jones was 16 years old and already knew what he wanted to do with his life.

He wanted to be an engineer. But when he told his teacher, he received a perplexed look, one that was all too familiar, one that made his dream, at least to others, appear a far-fetched goal. He had a disability.

“I don’t know if she didn’t understand me or if she didn’t believe I had the potential to climb up that ladder,” said Jones.

Jones made the best of the situation and used the negativity as his motivation. When he was told that he would have to be retained another year in special education, little did administrators know that he had a college acceptance letter in his backpack. Now, Jones is the CEO of Soul Touchin Experiences, an organization with the goal of improving the quality of life for people with disabilities, their families and people of color.

Jones was just one of the participants of last weekend’s conference Call for Action in Education put together by Boston’s NAACP. Boston Public School administrators, teachers and parents gathered in the Joseph P. Timilty Middle School auditorium with an objective to address the over representation of young African American boys in special education, the need for improved instruction within the system and a call for families and communities to participate as partners in the cause.

Rosa Smith, president of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, was the event’s keynote speaker. She has received the NAACP Service Award and has written articles on the education of young black men. She brought her expertise to the table as she spoke on the connection between young black students and their involvement in the special education system.

She brought some startling statistics, including the fact that 60 percent of young African American males are in prison.

“There are a large amount who do not graduate high school and go to prison,” said Dr. Smith. “That should be proof that something has to change.”

Smith encouraged parents to start working with their children, specifically black males, at an earlier age before they go into kindergarten. She also said that parents must be prepared to get involved in their child’s education process.

She pointed out that some children are unnecessarily put into special education and there is no one to advocate for them.

“Some children are given extra attention or given more hugs and kisses when they are difficult,” said Dr. Smith. “But when our [black] children act up and can’t be controlled, then the solution is special education and they go through the process of being suspended.”

She also mentioned that Massachusetts has one of the highest expulsion rates in the nation for children in pre-K to kindergarten.

“Once in special education, it is less likely they will get the totality of their education,” said Dr. Smith.

Vicky Griffith of Boston was one of the parents who attended the conference. She is a parent with an autistic child.

“I came here to get information on how to advocate for my son and find out what is available to best forward his education in preparation for life,” said Griffith.

Jeanette Thomas is a special education teacher for Boston Public Schools and she often encounters students that don’t belong in the program.

“It’s all about fairness for the students,” said Thomas. “I have one student that I retained and now he is flying.”

The conference also included a panel discussion entitled “Special Education: Dispelling the Myths,” where the participants used their expertise to clarify some common misunderstandings within the special education system. The panel was made up of Suzanne Ricco, evaluation team facilitator for Boston Public Schools, Dee Spinkston, executive director for Urban Pride and Keith Jones. Co-chair Ralph Edwards moderated the discussion.

Teachers had the opportunity to attend one of the nine workshops available, some of which included “Discipline in Education,” “Beyond Mediation” and “Your Basic Rights.”